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Formation instinct
Formation instinct is an exotic medical treatment used by the Kel in the hexarchate to induce an emotional need to obey orders and maintain hierarchy. It is first described in Ninefox Gambit. Overview Formation instinct is injected into every cadet at Kel Academy using psych surgery.Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 1; Revenant Gun, Chapter 4 At the same time, baseline body language is imprinted on every cadet to allow hierarchical authentication.Raven Stratagem, Chapter 7 Though the process is constantly fine-tuned by Kel Command,Raven Stratagem, Chapter 9 it is not entirely reliable.Revenant Gun, Chapter 4 Loyal Kel regarded formation-breakers, known as crashhawks, with visceral horror and usually decommission or execute them.Raven Stratagem, Chapter 12 Kel crashhawks who do continue serving are regarded with suspicionRaven Stratagem, Chapter 1 and rarely achieve prominent positions.Raven Stratagem, Chapter 6 History General Shuos Jedao's treasonous massacre at Hellspin Fortress was a major inspiration for the institution of formation instinct, although no Kel were implicated in the incident.Revenant Gun, Chapter 4 Designed by Visyas and Heptarch Nirai KujenNinefox Gambit, Chapter 2 after the purging of the more ethically-minded Liozh,Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 22 the technique was developed using Jedao's revenant as a prototypeNinefox Gambit, Chapter 23; Raven Stratagem, Chapter 9 in a bid to force him to obey orders while out of the black cradle.Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 23 While it would have been a controversial technique earlier, the hexarchs and Kel Command had no qualms about installing it in the Kel army after it was developed,Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 22 replacing formation channeling and voluntary loyalty as the definitive Kel values.Raven Stratagem, Chapter 1 The broadcast of the revised calendar, allowing people to choose whether or not exotics would affect them, allowed the Kel of the Compact to forego formation instinct. The Kel of the Protectorate continued to endure it until the two polities reformed under the Protectorate's banner and fully exchanged the high calendar for the revised one.cite Exceptions Vrae Tala Clause In case of situations where blindly following bad or outdated orders might result in defeat, the Vrae Tala clause, developed after the loss of the Fire Grasses campaignRaven Stratagem, Chapter 13 in 970,Hexarchate Stories: Hexarchate (And Heptarchate) Timeline allows a Kel general officer to suspend formation instinct for tactical purposes. To prevent abuse of the clause, its invocation is fatal, designed to kill the officer in question within 100 days. The clause and its related saying -- "every general is a clock" -- are seldom discussed within the Kel.Raven Stratagem, Chapter 13 Crashhawks The injection process cannot be predicted with complete certainty.Raven Stratagem, Chapter 1 First Formation is used to test Kel cadets' retention of the injection.Ninefox Gambit, Chapter Repeated tests are costly and seldom administered except to suspected crashhawks.Raven Stratagem, Chapter 6 Due to the cost of individual retesting, some crashhawks were able to serve long terms among the Kel, but rarely rose to prominence.Raven Stratagem, Chapter 6 Other Exceptions Formation instinct may be faulty when faced with a Kel who lacks the appropriate imprinted body language.Ninefox Gambit, Chapter During interrogations by other Kel, the rank of Kel being interrogated is suspended in order to allow formation instinct to deliver the best results.Raven Stratagem, Chapter 12 Trivia * In 1217,Raven Stratagem, Chapter 9; Hexarchate Stories: Hexarchate (And Heptarchate) Timeline Mikodez told Jedao that he had been the prototype for formation instinct. Kujen, disapproving, suppressed Jedao's memory of the conversation.Raven Stratagem, Chapter 9 Ajewen Cheris remembered it after acquiring Jedao's memories,Ninefox Gambit, Chapter 23 though she pretended otherwise to Mikodez out of distrust.Raven Stratagem, Chapter 9, Revenant Gun open thread * Kujen claimed that even with modern techniques, Jedao would not have been a suitable candidate for the injection.Raven Stratagem, Chapter 9 * Exceptional crashhawks included Kel Iasure, Ajewen Cheris, and Kel Brezan. References Category:Stubs Category:Kel Category:Categorize